The Price We Pay
by Pat-Bennett99
Summary: With the death of Eliot and Hardison, Nate's depression and drinking, and Sophie helping him, Parker is left to fix the pieces of her shattered life, as well as the Leverage team.
1. Chapter 1

**Greetings, fellow Leverage fans. I just finished all 5 seasons this past week (Thank God for Netflix, am I right?)…pissed that they didn't continue the series. Anyways, this is my first time writing something on Fanfiction in probably a year or two. This is my first time writing a Leverage story, so I hope you all will bear with me! Be sure to let me know if you guys like my story. Enjoy…**

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><p>"We should never have taken that job, Nate! We were way over our heads and you know it!" Parker yelled as tears rolled down her face.<p>

"It's our job to help people. You know it, I know it, Sophie knows it…" Nate started to say.

"What about Eliot and Hardison?" Parker screamed as Sophie wrapped her arms around her.

Nate wanted to say something, but the guilt was overwhelming. Without a word, he walked out of the room, leaving Parker and Sophie so he could drown his sorrows in the addiction that has plagued him since losing his son all those years ago. Everyone that has affiliations with Nate has ended up dead. The only thing he has left to hold onto is his new wife Sophie and his ex-wife Maggie, who occasionally joined the team on their missions.

Grabbing a bottle of Jack Daniels, Nate took his usual drinking spot against the wall, facing the entire restaurant. Luckily for him, the place was empty. He poured himself a drink and started recalling their horrific mission.

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><p>Cincinnati, Ohio – Queen City Planes, Inc.<p>

Queen City Planes, Inc. was founded in 1940 at the start of World War II to help allied forces by supplying planes and bombs. It was highly successful until 2002, when founder and CEO Richard McClain III passed away, leaving the company to his sons, Philip and Myles. At first, the company continued to thrive under Philip's control. Profits exceeded into the billions as Queen City Planes, Inc. started to create commercial planes, as well as military planes. Success quickly ceased once Philip stepped down to spend more time with his family. Once Myles took over, production halted, people were being laid off at an alarming rate and reports of stealing and bribery were brought to life. Myles was taken to court, but was never charged. One of the clients that came to LC&A was a former employee for Queen City Planes, an engineer who created plans for a new stealth bomber that could travel three times as fast as a typical stealth bomber, with an attached EMP. Myles caught wind of the plans and bullied his way into stealing them and then having the employee forcefully removed and fired. As any client, they only wanted their things back.

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><p>"Eliot…Eliot, come on! Answer me! You've got company!" Hardison yelled.<p>

"What's going on, Hardison? Talk to me!" Nate said as he and Sophie ran down isle after isle of boxes in the apparently abandoned warehouse, connected to Queen City Planes, Inc.

"Eliot's earbud went offline. Parker, where are you?" Hardison said as he frantically typed on his computer in the safety of Lucille 3.0, his mobile command vehicle.

"I've got the plans. I'm making my way to the north end of the building." Parker said as she put the envelope into her backpack.

"Wait, Nate…I've got Eliot on video." Hardison said as he took control the building's surveillance system.

"What's going on?" Nate asked as he and Sophie hid behind a large metal crate.

"He's surrounded by 15 armed guards…" Hardison said as he zoomed in.

Before he could see anything else, the video stopped.

"Nate, I've lost the footage. I'm shut out!" Hardison said as he tried to gain control.

"Damnit. Okay- Parker, is there any way you can make it over Eliot's position?" Nate said as he peeked his head around the corner.

"No, I'm already repelling down the side of the building." Parker said as she gulped in fear.

"Screw it. I'm going in." Hardison said as he slid open his door and rushed towards Queen City Planes, Inc.

"Hardison, no! We need you!" Sophie yelled as she and Nate started to run again.

It was too late. Hardison took out his earbud and headed to the 14th floor, where Eliot was last seen. Floor after floor, Hardison became more and more nervous. Who wouldn't be? He was about to rush into a gun fight, unarmed and outnumbered in hopes to rescue his best friend or die trying. He would take a bullet for every single one of his teammates and they would do the same for him. He shook off the last nerve as the elevator stopped at the 14th floor.

"I'm going to tell you again, you piece of shit. Put your hands on your head and kneel down or I will shoot." One of the guards yelled.

The sound of guns cocking echoed off the walls as Hardison crept along the cubicles.

"I hate guns." Eliot said as he put his hands over his head.

"Shut up and kneel down." Another guard said as he hit him with the butt of his gun.

Eliot fell to the floor, clutching his stomach in pain.

"Now, get on your knees." The first guard said.

Hardison moved into position just in time to see Eliot stumble to his knees as one of the guards walked over and put an M-16 to his head.

"Eliot Spencer- you shouldn't have come here. It's too bad that we have to kill you. We could've used you on our squad." A new guard said. He appeared to be the one in charge.

"Go fuck yourself, Shane. I'd never join you after the shit you pulled in Spain." Eliot said as he spat blood in the man's direction.

The man laughed as he signaled the man to shoot. The man cocked his gun and fired. The sound reverberated all over the halls.

"NOOOOO!" Hardison yelled as he emerged from his hiding spot.

He charged towards the group and tried to take them on one at a time. He managed to knock out on of the guards before getting hit in the back of the head by a rifle.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You know, I admire his bravery. Take him away down to the warehouse. I think his leader is down there." Shane said as he walked over to Eliot's lifeless body.

"What a shame. He's one of the better fighters I've had the pleasure of knowing." Shane laughed as he followed the men towards the elevator.

"Nate, what should we do?" Parker said as she rushed over to Lucille.

"I'm thinking…" Nate said as he paced back and forth.

"Well think faster. Look!" Sophie said as she pointed to the elevator door.

Emerged came armed guards, carrying an individual. It was too dark to recognize who they were carrying.

"I need a better look. Sophie, get out of here." Nate said as he kissed her forehead.

"Please be careful." Sophie said as she slowly made her way to the exit.

"Mr. Ford, I know you are in here somewhere. We've got one of your men. As for Eliot, well…his time was up. You have 10 seconds to show yourself or I'll put a bullet in his skull." Shane said with a grin as he circled Hardison.

"10.." Shane started counting.

"He's bluffing"

"9"

"8"

"7"

"6"

"5" *click*

The sound of the gun being cocked echoed through the warehouse.

"4"

"3"

"2"

"1"

"Goodbye to you…" Shane said as he pointed his gun at Hardison's head.

"Wait. I'm here, Shane. Let him go. It's me that you want." Nate said as he emerged from behind a crate.

All of the guards drew their guns and pointed them at Nate.

"I don't want you. I just wanted you to see what your actions have cost you tonight." Shane said as he turned back towards Hardison and pulled the trigger.

"NOOOO!" Nate screamed as he watched his friend fall.

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><p>"Nate…Nate, are you okay?" Sophie asked as she put her hand on his arm.<p>

"Huh? Oh…no. I'm not okay. I'm drinking again and I'm the reason why Eliot and Hardison are dead." Nate said as he lifted his head up from the table.

**I hope you guys enjoyed the intense first chapter. Leave a review. Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for those who have read my story so far. I know it's a little…eh… at the moment, but it's only the first chapter. I can't give anything away just yet about what's happening. You'll just have to continue reading in order to find out. So with that being said, here's chapter 2. Enjoy.**

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><p>With Nate and Sophie preoccupied, Parker was left to deal with her depression. Usually she'd go and steal something in order to make her feel better, but this was something different. She didn't just lose two important people in her life. Parker lost her whole world. Parker and Hardison recently began having an intimate relationship, which was knew to her because she hasn't really had the time or the social skills to have any sort of relationship with anyone else. As for her and Eliot, he became a brother to her. Since the first mission they did together, Eliot has watched over her and protected her, as well as taught her how to be "normal." Who did she have now? Nate's drowning himself in alcohol and Sophie, while having the best of intentions for the most part, is only focused on herself and Nate. Parker was all alone.<p>

With a deep sigh and tears continuing to run down her face, Parker gathered her things and walked outside to her Ecosse motorcycle that Hardison gave her for Christmas. If it wasn't for her depression, she would've enjoyed the warm Portland summer night. She climbed onto her bike and started the engine. Revving her bike, she drove off into the night. Like her place in Boston, her first purchase she made for a home was a decent sized abandoned warehouse. She got it for a good price after the police raided the meth lab that was going on inside of it.

Her home was simple for her, but to anyone else, it was something out of a horror movie. Parker had a large collection of the Baby Joy Rages, as well as a lot of safes and rope. She told Hardison when he came to install her security system that it was all for practice, minus the dolls…those were just for her. As she climbed into bed, Parker grabbed the picture of her, Eliot, and Hardison off of her dresser. The picture was of them after they emerged from the subway after they stopped the biological bomb from killing the citizens of Washington D.C. A tear rolled off of Parker's cheek and landed on the frame. With a small smile, she kissed the picture, put it back on the dresser and fell into a deep sleep.

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><p>"Parker…" A familiar voice rang through her head. It was loud enough for her to hear it but soft enough that she couldn't tell if it was just her mind playing tricks on her. She wanted to call out, but she couldn't see anything.<p>

"Parker…" The voice called again. This time, it was louder and clearer.

"Hardison?" She asked as she tried to see.

Emerging from the darkness walked the love of her life, arms held out, and ready to embrace his beautiful woman.

"H-how is this possible? Nate said you were killed!" Parker said as she placed her hands over mouth in shock. Her eyes began to water as Hardison wrapped his arms around her.

"_This can't be real. I must be dreaming._" Parker thought to herself.

After all, there's no way this was happening. She didn't remember waking up. But sure enough, she could feel the warmth of his body

"Shhh…don't ask. Just love it!" Hardison said as he lifted her head and kissed her.

Parker wanted to pull away and try to wake up. It was killing her knowing that it was all a dream and that he wasn't there with her, but at the same time, it just felt right. She didn't want it to end…that was until she woke up to the sound of her cell phone going off.

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><p>"No! Hardison come back!" Parker managed to say before she sat up in her bed.<p>

She didn't want to check her phone. She didn't want to talk to whoever made her ruin her perfect dream. Cursing whoever it was, she finally picked up the phone.

"Who the Hell is this and how did you get this number? Hello? Answer me" She said angrily.

A few minutes passed.

"Is this Parker? I need to talk to you." A man's voice finally spoke.

"How do you know me? Who are you?" Parker asked with a nervous tone.

"That's not important. I'm a friend of Eliot's. I have information about Eliot and your boyfriend. Meet me at the pier in 30 minutes and don't tell Ford or Ms. Devereaux." The man's voice said.

Before Parker could object, he hung up, leaving her to think about the situation. She thought about calling Nate, but after seeing how he handled things earlier, it was best if she went alone. Parker took one more glance over at the picture of the three of them and got dressed. One of the things she made sure to pack was her trusty Taser, just in case. Luckily for her, the pier wasn't too far away from where she lived. After 10 minutes of driving, she arrived and made her way at the end. Parker looked down at her watch.

"2 am- where is this guy?" She asked as she shivered from the cool breeze that blew in.

"Ah good, you came!" The man's voice said, coming from behind her.

Parker jumped in fight and quickly grabbed her Taser. Emerging from the shadows of the night was the mystery man. She guestimated him at 6'2. He was decently muscular, with dark brown hair that glistened in the moon light. He had a scar on the right side of his face that went up to his dark brown eyes.

"Who are you and why did you have me come out here?" Parker asked as she continued to point the Taser at him.

"My name is Carson Williams. I'm an undercover CIA agent investigating Queen City Planes. I was with the group of guards that had your friends Eliot and Hardison." The man said as he took out his badge.

"What are you trying to tell me?" Parker asked as shivers went up and down her body.

"Your friends aren't dead. We had Eliot surrounded. We were supposed to detain him for questioning until your boyfriend showed up. We had to fake Eliot's murder in order to capture Hardison too. Your boyfriend got a good one off on me. That's how I got this scar. Anyways, he's proof that they're still alive." Carson said as he took out a folder and tossed it to Parker.

Not taking any chances, she continued to point the Taser at him, while bending over and picking up the folder.

"Open it and you'll see." Carson said.

Taking a gulp, Parker finally opened it and nearly fainted. There were two pictures sitting in the middle. Eliot was lying in a cot with his hands handcuffed in one picture, while Hardison was sitting tied to a chair in another one.

"How do I know these are legit?" Parker asked as she threw the folder back to him.

"Trust me, Parker. I'm here to help you get your friends back. They're being kept in another Queen City warehouse." Carson said. His voice was sincere and trembling.

"Why should I trust you? How do I know you're not just leading me into a trap?" Parker said as she lowered her Taser.

"Do you want to help your friends or not? They don't have a lot of time left." Carson said.

"Yes I want to help them! What do I have to do?" Parker asked as she fought back the tears.

"Get on a flight to Cincinnati and meet me at this location." Carson said as he walked over and handed her a card.

"Are you sure this is not a set up?" Parker asked.

"If I wanted to kill you, I would've done it by now. Just make sure you come alone. I don't want Ford to blow this. I'm the best chance you've got of getting your friends out alive." Carson said as he turned and began to leave.

Parker remained silent as she looked down at the card. All she could think about is that Hardison and Eliot are alive and that she needed to save them. She had a small grin on her face at the thought of Hardison being okay. Without hesitation, she climbed onto her motorcycle and sped back to her warehouse, so she could pack.

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><p><strong>Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. As always, reviews are much appreciated.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone who continues to read my story. I'd like to thank you all- you've been great. I'm in the writing spirit today so I'll be cranking out one…maybe two chapters. Hopefully you'll like them. As always, reviews are much appreciated.**

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><p>"Where is it? I can't go without my grapple gun. I know it's around here somewhere." Parker said as she began throwing things around her home.<p>

She had already packed extra rope, her harness, her Taser, and her lucky "mist" that she uses to detect invisible lasers. As she continued to look, she realized that it was at the Brew Pub. Taking a deep sigh, Parker finished packing, climbed her motorcycle and sped to the restaurant. As she approached, Parker began to feel guilty at the thought of her having to break into her partially owned company. She also felt guilty that she couldn't ask Nate and Sophie for help. They had every right to know that Eliot and Hardison were safe. Putting her bike into park, she decided to go through the front door. As she picked the lock and walked inside, the blue tint of the micro-brewery illuminated the room, which made Parker jump.

"Damn I keep forgetting that happens." Parker said as she caught her breath.

She looked around to make sure she was alone. Why wouldn't she be? It was almost 4 in the morning. Parker made her way over and up the stairs to the briefing room. Again, she picked the lock and walked inside, fumbling around in the pitch darkness, trying to find the light switch.

"Shhh, someone's here." A female voice rang out in the dark.

"There's no one here. Now where were we?" A male's voice replied.

Remaining quiet, Parker found the light switch and to her disgust, found Sophie and Nate having sex on the briefing table.

"PARKER! Wha-what are you doing here?" Sophie asked as she quickly covered up.

"I'd like to ask you two the same thing. Don't you guys have your own place that you can go and do this?" Parker asked shielding her eyes, trying not to puke.

"What do you want, Parker?" Nate asked as she put on his pants and climbed off the table.

"I want to forget that I saw that, but I need my grapple gun. It's important." Parker said as she slowly removed her hands from her eyes.

"Why do you need it?" Sophie asked as she started to get dressed.

Parker froze. She wanted to tell them about Hardison and Eliot. Her lips trembled as she figured out what to do.

"Parker? Are you okay?" Nate asked as he walked over to her.

She began to shake; tears began to fall down her face.

"Hardison and Eliot are alive…" Parker blurted out as she broke down.

"What? How? I saw them shoot Hardison!" Nate said as he took a step back.

"No- they're being held in a warehouse. I was contacted tonight by an undercover agent named Carson Williams. I met him and he showed me pictures of them. I've got the address of where I'm supposed to meet him." Parker said as she took the card out of her pocket and gave it to Nate.

"Nate, this is great! We can go and rescue them!" Sophie said joyfully as she rushed over to Parker.

"We're going to need help though." Nate said eagerly as he paced back and forth.

"Are you sure you're ready though? Agent Williams said that you'd blow it." Parker said she wiped the tears from her face.

"I'm fine, Parker. I got them into this, and we're going to get them out of it. Now Sophie, call Tara and I'll call Sterling." Nate said as he started to walk away.

"Sterling? What makes you think he'll help us?" Sophie asked as she took out her phone.

"Because I know him. We'll meet back here in an hour." Nate said in a short response.

Sophie and Nate left the briefing room, leaving Parker alone with her thoughts. She was worried about working with Sterling, but she wasn't even more worried about how Nate will handle this mission. Her boyfriend and brother's life were on the line and she didn't want to leave it in the hands of a man who has succumb to his drinking again. She rummaged around the room and finally found her grappling gun and waited for the others.

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><p>"Alright, are we ready to go?" Sophie asked as she walked into the room.<p>

Nate was talking with Sterling, while Parker was tinkering with her harness.

"Yes, love. I'm ready." Sterling said with a grin.

"Pig…" Sophie mumbled under her breath.

"Wait…so where's Tara and Maggie?" Parker asked as she stood up.

"They're going to meet us there. We have to get to the airport now. Let's go." Nate said as he ushered them all outside to his car.

"Shotgun." Sterling said as he placed his bag in the trunk.

"Nice try." Sophie said with a smirk as she sat down in the front seat.

"Still not warming up to me, I see. Hmm, and how about you, Parker?" Sterling said with a small laugh as he closed his door.

Parker remained silent as she took out her phone. The background was of her and Hardison on Valentine's Day. She was holding her plant that Hardison gave her, unknowing that it came from Eliot.

"So what's the plan anyways, Nate?" Sterling asked as he looked out the window.

"I'm still working on it. They know both mine and Sophie's faces, which is why we're bringing you, Tara, and Maggie along to help." Nate said as put the car in drive and headed towards the airport.

"Lovely." Sterling said with a smirk as he closed his eyes.

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><p>On the plane, Parker managed to get a row to herself. She didn't mind thought. The only she wished was that she could fall asleep so she could be with Hardison again. As the plane flew over Chicago, she could see the sun rise over the lake, illuminating the already beautiful city. She remembered the first time that she worked with Hardison and the others. A slight anger came over her when she remembered Victor Dubenich almost tried to kill them in the explosion.<p>

"Ma'am, can I get you anything?" One of the stewardesses asked, noticing that Parker was the only one awake.

"Can I get some coffee? If I can't sleep now, I might as well just stay awake." Parker said with a small grin, just to get the stewardess to leave her alone.

"Right away!" The stewardess said with a smile as she walked to the back of the plane.

Before Parker could focus out the window again, the stewardess returned with her coffee.

"I put a little liquid courage in there. I noticed you were a little down since we left Portland. Boy troubles?" The stewardess asked with a concerned look.

"Thanks and something like that. It's a complicated situation." Parker said as she looked back outside.

"Well if there's anything else you need, feel free to ask." The stewardess said as she put her hand on Parker's shoulder before walking away.

"She likes you." Sterling said from the seat behind her.

"Shut up and go back to sleep." Parker said as she sipped on her drink.

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><p><strong>Hopefully you guys liked this chapter. Again, reviews are much appreciated.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's the next addition to The Price We Pay. Thanks for the reviews, the alerts, and the views. I appreciate it! Enjoy…**

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><p>The plane arrived at the CincinnatiNorthern Kentucky International Airport at 2 o'clock. Parker was the first to exit with Sterling, Sophie, and Nate following closely behind. Ever since they left Portland, they kept their distance from her. They knew what this mission meant to her. Needless to say it was important to them as well. Not having Hardison and Eliot by her side was eating her on the inside. The group managed to get their gear from the baggage claim with no issues; Sterling used his Interpol affiliation to allow Parker's gadgets to get past security at both airports.

"Tara and Maggie should be waiting for us in the lobby." Sophie said as she looked down at her phone.

"Lovely. So Nate, please tell me you have a plan B for this rescue mission you've got going on, right?" Sterling asked with grin.

"I told you I'm working on it. Don't worry-" Nate said as he was interrupted by the familiar voice of his ex-wife Maggie.

"Hello Nate…" Maggie said with a smile as she maneuvered past a family of tourists.

"Ah Maggie- glad you could make it." Sophie said with a smile as she walked over to give Maggie a hug.

"Hello gorgeous. Nice to see you again." Sterling said with a wink as he walked past.

"Wish I could say the same…" Maggie mumbled under her breath.

"Hey guys!" Tara said as she rushed over.

After the group said their hellos and hugged, they went outside where a limo was waiting to take them to their hotel.

"What? You didn't think we'd riding in a boring van, did you?" Tara said with a laugh as she climbed in.

The group shrugged and climbed in. Everyone was engaging in conversation, laughing, and catching up with each other, while Parker sat there looking out of the window, lost in her mind.

"Hey Nate, is Parker okay? She's quieter than usual." Maggie whispered.

Nate looked over at his friend and studied her. He knew what was wrong. Everyone felt the pain Parker did.

"It's best just to leave her alone. She'll be fine." Nate whispered back.

After driving for a few minutes, the limo made it to the Brent Spence Bridge. The sun reflected perfectly off of downtown Cincinnati. If it wasn't for the fact that she was on a mission, Parker would've taken in the scenery. A few more minutes passed and the limo pulled into the hotel parking lot. Thanking the driver, the gang went inside and checked into their rooms. Nate and Sophie had their own room; Tara and Maggie were already checked into their room earlier, which left Parker and Sterling to share a room.

"_Yay for me._" Parker scoffed in her head.

"Oh this will be fun. We can stay up and tell each other secrets." Sterling said with a laugh as they all walked to the elevator.

"How about we have a pillow fight? But instead of pillows, I'll use my Taser." Parker said angrily as she pulled out her trusty equipment.

"Sassy Parker…I like it." Sterling said with a grin as he pushed the elevator button.

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><p>Later that night, Parker tossed and turned in her sleep. It didn't help that Sterling was in the next bed, snoring louder and louder as minutes passed.<p>

"Screw this. I can't just wait here." Parker whispered to herself as she climbed out of bed.

She quickly and quietly packed a small backpack with her essentials. She contemplated going out of the window, but setting everything up would've woke Sterling up and then she'd be screwed. Taking a deep sigh, Parker looked over at Sterling, hoping he wouldn't wake up, and then walked out of the room. The glare of the hallway lights blinded her immediately.

"Too…bright." Parker mumbled as she stumbled down the hallway, refocusing her eyes.

Unfortunately for her, she didn't look behind her to see Sterling sneaking out of the room. Parker made her way outside, found the closest car to hotwire, and pulled away to meet Agent Williams. As she drove along the roads, Parker was in awe at how beautiful Cincinnati looked. She was in so much awe that she nearly hit an old woman trying to cross the street at a red light.

"Whew that was close." Parker said as she caught her breath.

Letting out a laugh, she continued to drive. After a few minutes of twists and turns, Parker drove down a small hill and into a parking lot of an on steel mill. The air reeked of raw sewage and rust, which made her gag a little bit. She could hear raccoons rummaging through trash cans near by, causing her to job. She didn't even notice Agent Williams walking out of the shadows.

"About time you got here." He said in a hushed tone.

"Yeah, well I'm here. Now what?" Parker asked.

As the two began talking, Sterling appeared from the shadows behind Parker.

"Well, well, well…Agent Williams. Long time, no see." Sterling said in his usual smug tone.

"James Sterling. Last time I saw you, you were the bitch boy at that stupid insurance agency." Agent Williams said as he drew his gun and pointed it at him.

"Sterling, what are you doing here and how did you even find me?" Parker asked as she took a step back.

"I could ask you the same thing, but I climbed into the trunk while you were hotwiring that car. By the way, you almost killed an old woman. Nice driving." Sterling said with a grin as he walked closer.

"Give me one good reason as to why I shouldn't shoot you right here, right now." Agent Williams said as he cocked his gun.

"Put it away, Carson. Do you really want to shoot an INTERPOL agent?" Sterling asked as he pulled out his badge.

"_He always has to show that_…" Parker said in her head as she rolled her eyes.

"Besides, I'm here to help save Eliot Spencer and Alec Hardison as well." Sterling continued.

"Unfortunately, it's true. He is here to help, as well as a few others." Parker said as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Alright, enough with this. We need to go now if we're going to get your friends out." Agent Williams said as he holstered his gun.

"Fantastic. So what's the plan?" Sterling asked.

"Well I'm going to stand guard over Eliot's and Hardison's cell, while Parker will go through the vents. There's a window that they can climb out of in the next room." Agent Williams said.

"Why can't we just go through the vents?" Parker asked as she was thinking of the plan.

"Because Hardison and Eliot would make too much noise. There's 7 heavily armed guards in there. If they are alerted, we all might as well be dead." Agent Williams replied.

"What am I supposed to be doing during all of this?" Sterling asked as he looked at the other two angrily.

Agent Williams fell silent. Sterling looked quite pleased with his verbal victory, while Parker rolled her eyes. She didn't care if Sterling was there or not. All she wanted to do was save Eliot and Hardison. Getting in was easy. It'd be just like any other job. The problem is getting them out. Usually Nate would have some elaborate plan.

"_I'll figure it out later._" Parker said in her head as she returned her focus back to Williams and Sterling.

"Alright, you can come. You are to wait outside though. Here take this." Williams said as he handed Sterling an assault rifle.

"For me? I don't have to give you anything, do I?" Sterling said with a small laugh.

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><p><strong>Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. As always, reviews are much appreciated. Thank you all for reading.<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you all who have read this story. As the end is rapidly approaching, aside from leaving a review, etc., I'd like you all to let me know if you'd like me to continue writing Leverage stories. It's one of my favorite shows, but why write what people don't want to read? Am I right? Anyways…you've all been great for reading this so far. That being said…here's the next chapter. Enjoy.**

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><p>As Parker waited on roof of the adjacent building, watching Agent Williams go into the warehouse, her heart started to beat rapidly. Her hands began to shake, as beads of sweat began to drip down her face. This is the first time that she has ever been genuinely afraid to zip-line and break into a place. It's not some priceless antique or painting that she's stealing. Parker's rescuing the only people that have ever cared about her. Sure Nate and Sophie cared about her, but only when it came to work. Before her nerves took over, Agent Williams radioed in.<p>

"You ready, Parker? We've only got one shot at this." Agent Williams said softly.

"Ye-yeah. I'm ready." Parker said as she took a deep sigh.

"Go now. Sterling, stay outside and be ready in case things go bad." Agent Williams continued softly.

"Fine…but don't be long, love." Sterling said.

Parker knew Sterling well enough to know he's doing his stupid grin that he always does. Taking another sigh, she grabbed her grappling gun, positioned her shot, and pulled the trigger. The metal hook glistened in the moon light as it flew across the way and latched onto one of the metal grates.

"Okay Parker…you've done this before. You've got this." She said as she hooked herself up to the line.

Standing on the edge, she could see a few guards patrolling the perimeter, armed with assault rifles and shotguns. All Parker had was a taser. She waited for the guards to turn the corner before making her move. The cool breeze felt good against her face as she zipped across. For a few seconds, she became happy…so much so that she forgot about the metal grate she was heading towards.

"Shit…shit…shit…" she said as she rammed into it.

Quickly unhooking herself, she ran over to the edge to see if the guards heard her. Sure enough, one of the guards was looking right at her.

"Code blue- we've got an intruder on the roof. I repeat, we've got an intruder on the roof." The guard screamed into his radio.

Within seconds, the patrolling guards began firing up at her. Instincts kicked in immediately for Parker as she sprinted towards the vents, but not before she tied the door to the roof shut. The longer she had to crawl through the vents, the better.

"Parker, what the fuck were you thinking?!" Agent Williams angrily murmured into the radio.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." Parker said softly as she began to crawl through the maze of vents.

"Lucky for you, the guards are focusing on the roof. Hurry and get here." Agent Williams said softly.

* * *

><p>Parker could hear the guards yelling below her. She couldn't stop now. She was so close. Parker would periodically check through the vent screens to get her bearings. The twists and turns of the vents would lose any rookie thief, but not Parker. Sneaking through vents was her sanctuary. After making one more turn, she finally made it on top of Agent Williams and the cell.<p>

"Pssstt. Look up." Parker whispered.

Agent Williams looked left and right before giving her the signal to drop. Slowly lowering herself, she could hear a faint voice coming from behind her. Tears started to fall from her eyes as she turned to see Hardison smiling at her. His left eye was blackened and swollen; he had a cut on his right cheek, but he still managed to smile as he saw his girlfriend.

"Hurry and open the door." Parker said as she grasped the bars on the door.

"Make it quick. We've got to go. I'll get Eliot." Agent Williams said as he unlocked the door.

Parker could've unlocked the door herself. It was first nature for her, but her emotions quickly took over. She opened the door and nearly tackled Hardison out of his seat.

"Don't ever scare me like that again." Parker cried out as she wrapped her arms around him.

She quickly untied him and was greeted by a warm embrace. Hardison wanted to say something, but between the emotions and his injuries, all he could do was hold her tight and not let her go. The two were too busy embracing that Parker didn't notice Eliot standing right behind her.

"Should I come back?" He said softly, followed by an aggressive cough.

Parker quickly turned around and met her "brother" with a rare hug. Eliot wasn't the one to become emotional about anything, but with everything that he and Hardison have been through and being reconnected with Parker, he couldn't help but shed a tear.

"If either of you tell anyone about me crying, I will kill you both." Eliot said as he let go of Parker.

The three just stood there with smiles on their face, only to be broken up by Agent Williams yelling at them.

"We need to go now. Parker, remember…go through the window. You've got less than 3 minutes before the guards come back." Agent Williams said as he opened the door to the hallway.

"Thank you for everything." Parker said as she peaked out into the hallway.

"Don't thank me yet. Get these two out first." Agent Williams said as he pushed Eliot and Hardison out into the door.

"How do we know that you won't tell the other guards? You're the one captured us in the first place." Eliot said as he went into a fighting stance.

"I'm also the reason why you're still alive. Now shut up and follow Parker." Agent Williams said as he lifted his gun.

"Let's go, Eliot. I just want to get the Hell out of here already." Hardison said as he turned his friend.

Before Parker could lead them, guards emerged from the stairway facing them.

"Go. I'll hold them off." Agent Williams said as he cocked his gun and began to fire.

"We're not leaving you." Parker yelled as bullets began to fly.

"Parker, there's no time to argue. Get your friends and go." Agent Williams screamed as he dove into cover.

Parker wanted to run to his side and help but Eliot lifted her and carried her into the room, while Hardison closed the door and barricaded it with a file cabinet.

"No! We can't leave him there. They'll kill him." Parker said as she tried to push the obstacle.

"Parker, there's nothing we can do." Eliot said as the faint sound of gunfire continued to ring out.

"Let's go. We need to get out of here." Hardison said as he opened the window.

Taking a deep sigh, Parker agreed.

"Sterling, are you clear?" Parker asked over the radio.

"Sterling? You're working with Sterling?" Eliot asked angrily.

"He wasn't my first choice…and Nate asked him anyways. Sterling, come in." Parker said over the radio.

"I'm a little bit busy at the moment. Because of you, the welcoming committee is arriving." Sterling responded.

"We've got no choice. Let's go." Hardison said as he climbed out of the window and onto the ledge.

Parker and Eliot followed. The three of them scaled the ledge until they were over a dumpster.

"Oh Hell no…a dumpster? This isn't the movies, guys." Hardison said as he looked down at the two story drop.

"Just shut up and jump, Hardison." Eliot said angrily.

"You first…" Hardison said cowardly.

Before Eliot could protest, Parker took the leap. The cool breeze hit her face once again as she landed somewhat softly on a pile of cardboard and trash.

"Come on, wimps. It's not too bad." Parker said with a grin as she climbed out.

Eliot took the plunge next with ease. He was used to doing that sort of thing when he was in Spec Ops. Hardison stood on the ledge all alone, breathing heavily as he continued to look down.

"Come on babe. It's not that bad. We need to go." Parker said softly.

"Give me something to throw at him. That'll get him down." Eliot said as he began to look around.

"Fuck you, Eliot. I'm going to die…I'm going to die…I'm going to die." Hardison repeated as he took the plunge.

The trash consumed his body as he impacted. After a few awkward moments, he finally emerged.

"Woo! Did you see that shit?" Hardison said proudly as he looked up at the ledge.

"Awesome. Now get out of there." Eliot said as he rolled his eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you guys liked that chapter. Again, reviews are appreciated. Also, let me know if you guys want more Leverage after this story is finished. Thank you.<strong>


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